In Netanyahu’s hour of need, Trump is nowhere to be seen (Opinion)
CNNEditor’s Note: Aaron David Miller is a vice president and distinguished scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and author of “The End of Greatness: Why America Can’t Have Another Great President.” Miller was a Middle East negotiator in Democratic and Republican administrations. CNN — We’re less than one month out from Israel’s September 17 election, which may well determine not just the political future of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but his personal freedom as well. At almost every turn, Trump has cast favors the Prime Minister’s way and interceded directly several times – albeit unsuccessfully – to get Netanyahu reelected. All of this played into Trump’s vanity, ego and narcissism – and he bathed in Netanyahu’s description of his role as a combination of Lord Arthur Balfour, King Cyrus and President Harry Truman. Second, much of Trump’s Israel focus has been based on another vanity exercise – Trump’s declaration of his intention to achieve an “ultimate deal” between Israel and the Palestinians.